Ragdoll Mermaid Free Crochet Pattern

Ragdoll Mermaid Free Crochet Pattern

Hi, friends! Ready for another Ragdoll pattern? I hope you guys aren’t getting tired of these yet because I’m having a lot of fun over here 🙂

I had the idea to make this Ragdoll Mermaid after I discovered the Loops and Threads Colorwheel line during one of my Michael’s trips. There were so many beautiful colours and as soon as I saw the gorgeous mints and corals and purples, I knew what I wanted to use them for. As you guys know by now, I almost always use cotton yarn for my patterns. However, while the Colorwheel yarn is acrylic, it is advertised as “anti-pill”, so I was definitely interested in giving it a try with amigurumi. While the yarn is super (duper) soft, I did find it became a bit fuzzy as I crocheted, despite the “anti-pill” advertising. But honestly, I expected this, as I crochet very tightly and tend to manhandle my crochet as I work, haha. In any event, this Ragdoll Mermaid turned out to be so whimsical and I love her. Also, I think she is probably the most beautiful thing I’ve ever crocheted so prepare for an onslaught of pictures…I may have gotten a little carried away.

You may notice that she has a lot of hair. You guys, this Mermaid has a lot of hair. Like, a tonne. I re-did the hair several times before I was satisfied with it. I’ll get into the discussion on that later in the pattern, so stay tuned.

Let’s get started. Here’s what we used:

**If you’d prefer a downloadable or printable version of this pattern, an inexpensive, formatted, and ad-free PDF can be purchased HERE.**

As noted above, I used 50g (1 skein) or less of each colour, however if you are using a bigger hook or tend to crochet more on the loose side, you may need an extra skein of Dark Mint (or whatever you are using for the main tail colour).

Just a quick note before we begin: this pattern is not complicated, but it has several parts (about 13 separate pieces, not including extra starfish amigurimi and the hair), so there is a lot of sewing, attaching and assembling.

The finished measurement is approximately 32 cm (12.5 inches) from the top of her head to the bottom curve of her tail.

**Ch 1 and turn after each row**

Terms and Special Stitches (US Terminology)

MR – Magic Ring

Ch – Chain

Slst – Slip Stitch

Sc – Single Crochet

Inc – Increase. Work 2 sc into the same st.

Dec – Decrease. Work 2 sc together.

Hdc – Half double crochet

Dc – Double crochet

BLO – Back loops only

FLO – Front loops only

Body (make 2 panels):

Start with Dark Mint coloured yarn and 3.25mm hook. We will start at the bottom of the tail and work up.

Row 1: Ch 13, sc along (12 sts)

Row 2: Inc, sc 10, inc (14 sts)

Row 3: Inc, sc 12, inc (16 sts)

Row 4: Sc along (16 sts)

Row 5: Inc, sc 14, inc (18 sts)

Row 6: Sc along (18 sts)

Now we will start working on the main part of the tail and come back to finish the tip of the tail later, so you will only be crocheting part way across the previous row for now.

Row 7: Inc, sc 8 (10 sts)

Row 8: Inc, sc 8, inc (12 sts)

Rows 9-10: Sc along (12 sts)

Row 11: Inc, sc 10, inc (14 sts)

Rows 12-13: Sc along (14 sts)

Row 14: Inc, sc 12, inc (16 sts)

Rows 15-16: Sc along (16 sts)

Row 17: Inc, sc 14, inc (18 sts)

Row 18: Sc along (18 sts)

Row 19: Inc, sc 16, inc (20 sts)

Rows 20-28: Sc along (20 sts)

Row 29: Dec, sc 16, dec (18 sts)

Rows 30-32: Sc along (18 sts)

Row 33: Dec, sc 14, dec (16 sts)

Rows 34-36: Sc along (16 sts)

**Switch to Pale Taupe coloured yarn for the Mermaid’s body. When switching colours, insert your hook into the last stitch of Row 36. With Dark Mint yarn, yarn over and pull up a loop. Then, join the Pale Taupe and pull through both loops.

Row 37: In BLO, sc along (16 sts) **When you make the second panel (i.e. the panel for the back of your mermaid), this row will be worked in the FLO**

Rows 38-39: Sc along (16 sts)

Row 40: Dec, sc 12, dec (14 sts)

Row 41: Dec, sc 10, dec (12 sts)

Rows 42-43: Sc along (12 sts)

Row 44: Inc, sc 10, inc (14 sts)

Rows 45-46: Sc along (14 sts)

Row 47: Inc, sc 12, inc (16 sts)

Rows 48-56: Sc along (16 sts)

Row 57: Ch 1, dc 2, hdc 3, sc 6, hdc 3, dc 2 (16 sts)

Tie off. Now we will start the neck and head. With the front of the panel facing you, count in 6 sts from the right. You will start working in the 7th st:

Row 1: Ch 1, sc in the same st. Sc in the next 3 sts. (4 sts) *You should now have 4 sc in the middle four sts of previous row*

Row 2: Sc along (4 sts)

Row 3: Inc, sc 2, inc (6 sts)

Row 4: Inc, sc 4, inc (8 sts)

Row 5: Inc, sc 6, inc (10 sts)

Row 6: Inc, sc 8, inc (12 sts)

Row 7: Inc, sc 10, inc (14 sts)

Row 8: Inc, sc 12, inc (16 sts)

Row 9: Inc, sc 14, inc (18 sts)

Rows 10-16: Sc along (18 sts)

Row 17: Dec, sc 14, dec (16 sts)

Row 18: Dec, sc 12, dec (14 sts)

Row 19: Dec, sc 10, dec (12 sts)

Row 20: Dec, sc 8, dec (10 sts)

Row 21: Dec, sc 6, dec (8 sts)

Row 22: dec, hdc, dc 2, hdc, dec (6 sts)

Tie off.

Now we will go back and finish the tail by single crocheting in the remaining stitches of Row 6. With Dark Mint yarn, ensure the front of your mermaid is facing you and count in 5 stitches from the left.

Row 1: Starting in the 5th st from the left, sc 4, inc in last st (6 sts)

Row 2: Inc, sc 5 (7 sts)

Row 3: Dec, sc 4, inc (7 sts)

Row 4: Sc 5, dec (6 sts)

Row 5: Dec, sc 3, inc (6 sts)

Row 6: Sc 4, dec (5 sts)

Row 7: Dec, sc 2, inc (5 sts)

Row 8: Sc 3, dec (4 sts)

Row 9: Dec, sc 2 (3 sts)

Row 10: Sc, dec, (2 sts)

Tie off.

Repeat all of the above for the second body panel, but remember to work in the FLO for Row 37 (instead of the BLO) so we can add some seashell trim to the mermaid’s waist later on both sides. If you don’t care about adding the seashell trim on the back of your mermaid (it’s not really visible with all that hair), you can crochet in both loops for the second panel. When finished, put both panels aside for assembly later.

Arms (make 4 panels in twos as explained below) in Pale Taupe:

Row 1: Ch 4, sc along (3 sts)

Rows 2-22: Sc along (3 sts)

Tie off first panel. Repeat rows 1-22 for second panel. Do not tie off second panel. Put both panels together, ch 1, and sc around the entire piece, starting in the top left corner. (Sc, ch, sc) in each corner. Begin stuffing the arm when you’ve crocheted about two to three stitches of the third side of the piece. Continue stuffing a little after every few stitches. Slst to beginning st to close. Tie off. Repeat for second arm.

Fins (make 4 panels in twos as explained below) in Dark Mint:

Row 1: Ch 5, sc along (4 sts)

Row 2: Inc, sc 2, inc (6 sts)

Row 3: Inc, sc 4, inc (8 sts)

Row 4: Inc, sc 6, inc (10 sts)

Rows 5-8: Sc along (10 sts)

Row 9: Dec, sc 6, dec (8 sts)

Row 10: Sc along (8 sts)

Row 11: Dec, sc 4, dec (6 sts)

Row 12: Sc along (6 sts)

Row 13: Dec, sc 2, dec (4 sts)

Row 14: Sc along (4 sts)

Row 15: Dec twice (2 sts)

Row 16: Dec (1 st)

Tie off first panel. Repeat rows 1-16 for second panel. Do not tie off second panel. Put both panels together, ch 1, and sc around the entire piece. Begin stuffing the fin when you’ve crocheted about two thirds around the piece. Slst to beginning st to close. Tie off. Repeat for second fin. Put these aside for assembly later.

Seashell Waistband in Mint:

With Mint coloured yarn and 3.25mm hook, take the first body panel and, with the right side facing you, turn the panel upside-down so the tail is pointing up and the head is pointing down. This ensures the right-side of your finished seashell trim is facing out when you fold it down.

Repeat from * to the end. Sc in last st and fasten off. You will have four shells across the front. Fold down onto the tail. We did not sew it down but you can certainly sew it down to make it more secure.

Repeat for the back panel.

Appliqué Starfish in Purple Pink:

With a 2.75mm hook

Rnd 1: Magic Ring 5 sc (5 sts)

Rnd 2: Inc around (10 sts)

Rnd 3: Ch 5, starting in second ch from hook, slst, sc, hdc, dc. Slst to next st of Rnd 2. Slst to next st.

The bra is worked almost entirely in slip stitch. This can be tricky so we recommend you used a stitch marker for each row. Use a 3.25 mm hook:

Row 1: Ch 4, slst along (3 sts)

Row 2: In BLO, slst 2, inc (4 sts)

Row 3: In BLO, slst along (4 sts)

Row 4 : In BLO, slst 3, inc (5 sts)

Row 5: In BLO, slst along (5 sts)

Row 6: In BLO, slst 3, dec (4 sts) *when working a slst dec, insert hook into st, pull up a loop (two loops on hook), insert hook into next st, pull up a loop and pull through both loops.*

Row 7: In BLO, slst along (4 sts)

Row 8: In BLO, slst 2, dec (3 sts)

Row 9: In BLO, slst along (3 sts)

Row 10: Now, ch 1 and work 3 decreases (regular sc decreases) across the bottom of the shell.

Row 11: Ch 1 and turn. Dec, sc.

Tie off, leaving a long tail for sewing onto your mermaid later. Repeat rows 1-11 for the second seashell, but don’t tie off. Instead, ch 3 and attach to the bottom (Row 11) of first seashell with a slst. Tie off.

Assembly:

Step 1: Appliqué

The first thing we did was apply the eyes, nose, and appliqué starfish.

For the eyes, we used black embroidery thread and counted 9 rows down from the top of the head. Each eye spans 4 sts and there are about 4 sts between the eyes. Tie with a knot on the back to secure.

For the nose, we used Pale Taupe and simply threaded it three times across the two stitches between the eyes. Tie a knot on the back to secure and trim the yarn tails. (We also did this for the belly button, except we threaded the yarn around just one stitch instead of 2; it’s difficult to see in the photos)

Arrange the appliqué starfish wherever you like it best on the Mermaid’s tail and sew in place using the yarn tail by sewing around each of the 5 arms of the starfish. Tie a knot on the back to secure and trim yarn tails.

Step 2: Fins and Arms

Cut off three lengths of Dark Mint yarn and two lengths of Pale Taupe yarn, about 30 cms (12 inches) each. Put them aside for later.

Place the two body panels together, matching up all sides.

**Make sure the face of your Mermaid is facing you as you crochet around the outside of the piece.**

Starting on the left-hand side of the Mermaid’s tail (below the waist), begin attaching the panels together by single crocheting around the outside using Dark Mint yarn. Crochet around the inside curve of the tail and stop. Pull up a long loop and leave this for now.

Now, with your tapestry needle and a length of Dark Mint yarn that you set aside earlier, place a fin between the panels and attach it by sewing through all three pieces; the top panel, the fin, and the bottom panel. Tie a knot and secure, hiding the tails between the panels of the body. Repeat for second fin. In order to keep the fins positioned together, with the third length of Dark Mint you set aside earlier, sew the fins together at their widest part. Poke the remaining yarn tails inside the fins using the back of your tapestry needle.

Now, picking up where you left off, continue single crocheting around the tip of the tail. When you get to the fins, simply sc in the stitches of the front panel only; since this portion is already sewn shut, it’s for aesthetics only. Once you are past the fins, continue single crocheting both panels together as normal.

Crochet around the bottom curve of the tail and stop. Stuff the tip of the tail. Continue single crocheting the panels together. When you get to the colour change between the tail and the body, switch to Pale Taupe coloured yarn. When changing colours, insert your hook in the stitch. With Dark Mint, yarn over and pull up a loop. Then, join the Pale Taupe and pull through both loops.

Crochet half way up the body then stop. Place the first arm between the panels at the shoulder and sew in place the same way you did for the fins, using a length of Pale Taupe yarn that you set aside earlier.

Continue crocheting up the side. Remember, when you get to the arm, simply sc in the stitches of the front panel only, since this portion is already sewn shut. Once you are past the arm, continue single crocheting both panels together as normal.

Crochet around the head and stop before you reach the neck. Stuff the head. Make sure you stuff it well because once you crochet around the second shoulder, it will be really difficult to add any more stuffing since the neck opening is quite narrow.

Attach second arm the same way you did for the first. Then, continue single crocheting down the body. Stop at the waist. Stuff the body. Make sure you stuff the neck really well. You will want it to be sturdy enough to hold up all that hair! If not, the head of your Mermaid will droop under the weight. You could also add some wire or a dowel inside the neck to make it stronger, but we didn’t do this.

Continue single crocheting down the body/tail, stuffing as you go. Slst to first st to close. Tie off and weave in ends on the back.

Step 3: Finishing Touches – Bra and Hair

Sew the seashell bra on. We didn’t bother making a strap going all the way around, but you could certainly do this by chaining on either side of each shell and tying it in the back.

We attached the hair by inserting a small hook (we used 2.75mm) into the stitch from right to left and pulling through one strand, folded in half, and then pulling the ends through the loop and tightening.

We started on the back of the head, about 6 rows up from the shoulders. We didn’t measure the exact length of the strands, as they will be different depending on whether you are attaching them to the top of the head or the bottom. We simply measured them against the mermaid to make sure they came down a few centimeters below the bottom of the tail.

View from the back!

With respect to colours, I used Mint as the main hair colour. Then, I more or less added the accent colours randomly. Although, I did do “patches” of colour where I clumped about four strands of one accent colour next to each other so the colours didn’t become too muddled.

Okay, so, initially, I attached one strand in every stitch in every row and, after about three rows, it was clear that this was going to be waaay too much hair. So I went back and decided to do every second row, so that there was a strand in every stitch of every second row. After a few more rows, I realized this was still going to be way too much hair to be reasonable. So, I went back and did every second stitch of every second row. Once the back of the head was done, I added strands around the face i.e. in the single crochets around the outside, stopping at around Row 10 of the head (counting up from the shoulders). I also added a couple of strands on the forehead to create a sort of side bang. Even with a strand in every second stitch of every second row, the hair on this girl is unreal, haha. So you may want to do even less than I did. Perhaps every third stitch of every second row or every stitch of every third or fourth row would be better. But, that being said, it is incredibly fun playing with and styling her hair.

This mermaid is so much more stylish than me.

I then trimmed her hair to make it more or less all one length and to neaten it up.

Finally, I used our Stella Starfish pattern HERE to make the starfish amigurumi accessory. Instead of using a 3.5mm hook, I used a 1.5mm hook and light weight cotton yarn to make it even more miniature. Seriously, you guys, it is so cute and tiny.

Phew! That’s it! You are done!

Enjoy your Ragdoll Mermaid!

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Hi Pam,
If you’re looking to print the pattern, you can make any webpage print-friendly by going to printfriendly.com and entering the URL of the page you want to print. From there you can print as much or as little of the pattern and pictures as you want. Hope that helps!

Hi Abigail,
Which part of the tail are you having trouble with? When I did mine, after I had sewn the two tail pieces in place between the panels, I took another piece of yarn and just stitched the fins together in the middle (where the two fins touch) to keep them positioned together. If that doesn’t answer your question, please let me know and I will try to clarify further!

Hi Loretta,
The pattern is in the blog post above these comments, so you just need to scroll up. If you cannot see it, then there may be an issue with your browser. I suggest reloading or trying a different browser. Although, if you are able to see the comment section, you shouldn’t have any trouble seeing the blog post as well.
Alternatively, you can purchase an inexpensive, ad-free PDF version of the pattern HERE.

I just have to say, this mermaid will be the second of your patterns I’ve made, and I enjoy them so much! I’ve been crouching for over 10 years an I’ve always hated making stuffed animals or dolls. With your patterns being so easy, not only am I enjoying making them, but I absolutely adore the simplicity of them!! Thank you so much for these patterns. I look forward to making hopefully all of them ones day!

That is so kind! Thank you! ☺️ I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the patterns and have found a new love for amigurumi! Please feel free to share pictures of your finished items on our FB page! I’d love to see them!

Essentially, you will have a flat area on the left side. So now, the front of your mermaid panel should be facing you, and you will rejoin your yarn into the 5th stitch in (sort of in the middle of that flat area). Here is a close up picture of what it is you are actually crocheting (circled in black) and an arrow to where you are starting: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NbSghoNs-h6c0y0GF2JmkbVAoTTzFcOA/view?usp=sharing

Thank you for the docs. Unfortunately I am still confused. 😫 My mermaid currently looks like the drawing you sent me; however, I am still very confused about how to get the tail to look like it is suppose to (before the fins that is). Am I suppose to single crochet a few more rows or start with counting in 5 stitches from the left? When I count in those 5 stitches, do I go crochet to the left or right?

You join your yarn into the 5th stitch from the left and then work Row 1. Since the right side of your panel is facing you, you will be crocheting to the left. Then ch 1, turn and work Row 2 like normal and so on.